Welcome to our pre- registration and re- activation page. Like all meaningful relationships, belonging to a parish requires energy and dedication. Below you will find a description of the common gradations of belonging, followed by instructions on how to start the process of pre- registration or re- activation. Being registered. Being “registered” is to be enrolled at a particular parish, this parish and not another one. It could be the parish in one’s neighborhood, the parish where one’s parents attended when one was young or the parish where one feels most at home. Being actively registered. Being actively registered means having some involvement in one’s parish. You could say it means exhibiting a pulse, showing some sign of life, weak or strong. Pastors differ regarding how much “life” is expected to be considered active. For some, if a parishioner is turning in a tithing envelope every few months, then that individual is considered active. Other pastors might want to see the parishioner at Mass at least once in a while. Here too, opinions vary: Christmas, Easter and funerals? Every month? Every four months? When one needs the next sacrament? Being actively registered and qualified to be a Sponsor. Being actively registered and being qualified to be a sponsor are two different things. Sponsors are regularly involved in the life of their parish. Most immediately, this means faithfully attending the Sunday Eucharist, thereby sharing in the worship of God with one’s fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It is one of the precepts of the Church, and necessary to be Catholic in more than just a nominal or superficial way. Other elements, like having been confirmed and being established in an ecclesially sanctioned state of life, are also necessary. You can find the sponsor/godparent/affidavit requirement page here. Other qualities. Offering one’s help, skills and/or talents is considered here as an extension and complement to the precept of the church regarding tithing. We are very much a collective entity, the sum total of all the goodness that parishioners freely offer to make their second spiritual home one that is beautiful, welcoming and effective. Being involved is doing what one can to maintain and better one’s church. No amount of money can ever replace the volunteer work necessary for a vibrant and attractive parish. Those who cannot give financially can offer their help instead. New members entering St. Edwin should be ready to get to know those in their spiritual family, help in our two festivals and offer some regular service. Tithing would not take from one’s basic needs, but should be significant and substantial, not merely a token gesture. One might add showing up with an upbeat attitude and spirit of Christian kindness, as part of being an active and loving Catholic parishioner. Members are encouraged to “catch the Spirit,” and participate wholeheartedly in the programs offered by the parish. Do I hear an “Amen!”? Pre-registration and re- activation. The distinctions offered above convey a certain approach to being a part of a Catholic-Christian community. The reception of a sacrament crowns the life of faith actively being lived in a local parish setting. This outlook differs from a fast food drive-through attitude, where individuals “pull up to the parish window, order what they want, and then speed away” until the next “something” is needed. Unfortunately, there are those who have taken on this second mentality. Newcomers are asked to complete four months of pre-registration, to display some real interest in becoming an active part of our local parish community, and to familiarize themselves with it. It is also our period of re-activation for already-registered parishioners who have been away for a considerable amount of time, yet now seek something from us, or better, wish to renew their presence here. This entails 1) verifying your weekly Mass attendance at our parish each Sunday with the designated person outside the church, 2) turning in one of the white tithing envelopes each week with the amount you decide, 3) taking a tour of the parish with the pastor or one of the parishioners sometime within those four months and 4) participating in some of our functions, even simply joining us for food after Mass. Of course, four months does not guarantee genuine interest, but it’s a start! If you would like to become part of our parish family, then say hello to the pastor after Mass, visit the office and we will direct you to our online pre-registration and/or re-activation form.